Project Officers ASCEND (Uganda)

Employer: Village Enterprise

Industry: Nonprofit/International Development/Social Entrepreneurship/Philanthropy

Job Title: Project Officer ASCEND

Department: Programs

Reports To: Program Officer

Matrix Reporting: Functional collaboration with MEL, Systems, Finance, and relevant technical teams

Direct Reports: None

Position Type: Full-time

Location: Alebtong (1 post), Serere (2 posts), Abim (2 posts)

About Village Enterprise:

Village Enterprise’s mission is to end extreme poverty in rural Africa through entrepreneurship, innovation, and collective action. By empowering women, refugees, and youth to launch small businesses and savings groups, our cost- effective model provides dignified and sustainable pathways for individuals to lift themselves and their families out of extreme poverty for good.

To date, Village Enterprise has trained 396,872 first-time entrepreneurs, 80% of whom are women, and supported the launch of 120,609 businesses and 9,309 Business Savings Groups (BSGs). These efforts have positively impacted 2,478,065 lives across Africa. 

With operations in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, and partnerships in other sub–Saharan African countries, Village Enterprise continues to expand its reach. As we scale our impact, our aim remains ambitious yet achievable: to lift 20 million people out of extreme poverty by 2035.

Project Overview:

Village Enterprise is implementing ASCEND - Advancing Scalable, Cost-Effective Entrepreneurship through Digital Innovation - a three-year, multi-country initiative across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Ethiopia.

ASCEND will scale Village Enterprise's digitally enabled approach to poverty graduation, combining entrepreneurship and livelihood development with digital learning, savings, coaching, financial inclusion and market access. The project will use technology and data to increase the reach, quality and cost-effectiveness of delivery while maintaining strong participant engagement and programme quality.

The project will support 21,600 businesses and 64,800 households, reaching an estimated 388,800 lives across the four countries. At least 80% of direct participants will be women.

ASCEND is both a major delivery initiative and an important opportunity for Village Enterprise to demonstrate how digitally enabled Graduation programming can achieve quality, scale and cost-effectiveness across diverse operating contexts.

Position Summary

The Project Officer is a frontline implementation professional responsible for directly delivering Village Enterprise’s ASCEND digital Graduation methodology in assigned communities. The role manages the full participant and enterprise journey from community entry and targeting through digital learning, business formation, savings, coaching, financial and market linkages, and graduation follow-up while maintaining strong participant engagement and implementation quality.

Each Project Officer is expected to support the establishment of approximately 300–600 businesses during a 16-month implementation cycle, subject to approved country and project targets, geographical conditions, and resourcing. The role reports to the Program Officer, works independently across dispersed field locations, and coordinates community 60 Tech Champions and partners without holding formal line-management responsibility unless specifically delegated.

Key Responsibilities

1. ASCEND Delivery & Participant Journey

• Translate approved implementation plans into weekly and monthly community activity schedules and deliver all assigned SPRINT milestones.
• Lead community entry, geographic mapping, sensitization, targeting, verification, enrolment and group formation in line with approved protocols.
• Facilitate digital learning, entrepreneurship and livelihood training, savings group formation, coaching, mentoring, and market and financial inclusion linkages throughout the Graduation journey.
• Support establishment of approximately 300–600 viable group businesses per 16-month cycle, alongside corresponding savings groups and participant milestones specified in the approved plan.
• Track attendance, retention, participant progression, business functionality and savings-group performance; follow up promptly on participants needing additional support.
• Integrate gender equality, youth inclusion, climate resilience, health and nutrition participant agency and locally relevant adaptations within approved methodology.

2. Digital Facilitation & Tech Champion Support

• Use approved ASCEND digital learning platforms and tools as the primary delivery mechanism, collaborate and escalate any tech related matters to the Product Digital Manager and tech team, supplemented by appropriate in-person support.
• Identify, orient, train and coach community Tech Champions to facilitate learning, use digital tools and provide sustainable peer support.
• Support participants to access and navigate digital content, address routine digital-literacy and connectivity barriers, and escalate technical failures to the Program Officer for support.
• Maintain accurate digital activity and participant records using approved systems; avoid unauthorized parallel tracking tools.
• Share user feedback and practical insights with Systems and Product & Innovation teams to improve usability and implementation effectiveness.

3. Program Quality, Monitoring & Adaptive Management

• Apply ASCEND implementation standards consistently across training, coaching, mentoring, savings and business support.
• Verify the completeness, accuracy and timeliness of participant and enterprise data, collaborating with MEL on spot checks and data-quality corrections.
• Use approved dashboards and monitoring findings to identify lagging groups, weak businesses, attendance gaps and emerging implementation risks.
• Document participant feedback, delivery innovations and lessons learned; propose feasible improvements without independently changing core methodology or eligibility rules.

4. Community Engagement & Local Partnerships

• Maintain trusted working relationships with participants, community leaders, local administrators, private-sector actors and relevant service providers, and other complementing partners within their implementing locations
• Coordinate local stakeholder engagement and facilitate practical financial, input, business and market linkages for participant groups.
• Represent Village Enterprise in routine community and local government forums within delegated authority, escalating strategic commitments or sensitive issues.

5. Field Resources, Grants & Reporting

• Plan and account for approved field activities, transport, materials and other resources, demonstrating value for money.
• Coordinate with Finance and the Program Officer to verify participant grant readiness, support timely disbursement, reconcile grant records and flag failed or outstanding payments.
• Submit accurate and timely weekly and monthly progress updates against assigned milestones, business and savings-group targets, and participant outcomes.
• Maintain organized supporting records for field verification, donor visits and audits; promptly flag operational constraints and budget variances.

6. Safeguarding, Inclusion & Risk Management

• Safeguarding: "Safeguarding at VE is everyone's responsibility":
• You are expected to actively contribute to creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all programme participants, particularly children and other vulnerable individuals. Your responsibilities include:
• Field-Level Safeguarding Implementation: fully implement safeguarding requirements in the field and that programme participants understand safeguarding prevention measures and reporting mechanisms.
• Regular Safeguarding Spot Checks: Conduct regular spot checks using the safeguarding spot check tool in Taro works and update the tool with accurate data.
• Safeguarding Awareness: Continuously sensitize programme participants on safeguarding risks, including child abuse, sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment, financial exploitation, and other forms of harm. Ensure participants understand the available safeguarding reporting channels and procedures for escalating concerns.
• Compliance with Safeguarding Standards: Comply with and promote adherence to VE’s safeguarding policies, Code of Conduct, and relevant safeguarding procedures across all programme activities, interactions, and practices.
• Reporting stickers: ensure that all the groups have access to reporting stickers and are properly displayed.
• Reporting and Escalation: Promptly report any suspected or actual safeguarding concerns or incidents involving children, adults, staff, or partners encountered in the course of work, using the organisation’s established reporting channels. Cooperate with authorized follow-up processes as required.
• Promoting and Maintaining a Safe Environment: Contribute to creating and maintaining a safe environment for children, adults at risk, staff, and other individuals encountered through work. Uphold dignity, respect, and safety in all interactions, and remain vigilant to potential safeguarding risks, taking appropriate action in line with organisational policies and procedures.
• Identify routine field risks and take authorized mitigating action; escalate serious compliance, security, reputational or implementation concerns promptly.

Required Qualifications

• University degree or equivalent qualification in development, business, social sciences, agriculture, project management or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• At least three years of relevant community-based development or NGO program implementation experience.
• Experience in Poverty Graduation, livelihoods, enterprise development, savings groups or market systems development especially in ASAL contexts is strongly desirable.
• Comfort facilitating digital learning and supporting community users of technology; familiarity with Salesforce, TaroWorks, dashboards or similar systems is an advantage.
• Strong community facilitation, stakeholder engagement, written reporting, data quality and independent field problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in the working language(s) of the duty station Ateso and Acholi Labwor; relevant local languages are a MUST. Ability to travel extensively to rural and remote communities.

Core Competencies

• Participant-centred facilitation and inclusion; digital confidence and adaptability.
• Strong field execution, ownership of targets and disciplined follow-through.
• Data-driven problem-solving and continuous improvement.
• Collaboration, integrity, sound judgment and effective local stakeholder relations.
• Commitment to Village Enterprise values: Ubuntu, Passion, Integrity, Innovation and Sustainability.

To Apply

Interested and qualified candidates who meet the set criteria are invited to send their Cover Letter and CV (Maximum 3 pages) including 3 referees (with email addresses and day-time telephone contacts), on the online platform (PDF).

With the subject line: “Project Officer ASCEND – Alebtong, Serere or Abim, please specify preferred job location. 

Follow this link to submit your application or go directly to the Village Enterprise Website:  

Submit applications until November 6, 2026.

Affirmative Action

Village Enterprise will provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals. Employment decisions at Village will be based on merit, qualifications and abilities. Village does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, gender identity, age, disability, marital status or any other characteristic protected by the law. Village will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so would result in undue hardship to daily operations.

Village Enterprise is a corruption, solicitation or bribery free organization. We or any of our employees or associates do not charge money from job applicants before, during or after recruitment. Please report malpractices through our safeguarding Tollfree hotlines; 0800 204450 - Uganda

Safeguarding Statement

Village Enterprise is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults. We expect all employees, volunteers, Visitors, associates (consultants, service providers and suppliers) and partners to uphold this commitment and adhere to our safeguarding policies and code of conduct. VE has zero tolerance for any form of abuse, exploitation, or harassment. All appointments are subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, which may include reference checks with previous employers, verification of qualifications, and criminal record or background screening where required by law.